PESHAWAR: Senior film, TV and stage actor Rasheed Naz breathed his last at an Islamabad hospital at 73, family sources confirmed here on Monday.

Hassan Noman, a son of legendary actor, said Mr Naz had been under treatment owing to some health complications at a hospital in the federal capital, where he breathed his last on Monday morning.

Later, his body was brought to Peshawar where his funeral prayers were offered. A large number of local artists, relatives and fans attended his Namaz-i-Janaza.

Born on Sept 9, 1948 in Peshawar, Rasheed Naz had developed a taste for acting in movies. He had launched his acting career in 1971 from a Pashto play telecast by PTV Peshawar centre. Over 250 TV and stage plays and movies are to his credit.

An Urdu play Aik Tha Gaon from PTV Peshawar aired in 1973 shot him to an unprecedented fame and then he never looked back and performed in numerous Pashto, Hindko and Urdu plays with equal ease and excellence as he was the best at his manly sound and facial expressions.

Namoos was another PTV Peshawar centre’s super hit play aired on national network, which lured Lollywood producer Syed Noor to cast him in his Urdu movie Dakait followed by Shoaib Mansoor’s cast in his Urdu flick Khuda Kayliye.

Mr Naz’s other successful projects included Ghulam Gardish, Khuda Zameen Se Gaya Nahin, Pinjra, Inkaar, Dusra Asman, Pathar, Dasht, Zama Jang, Ishq Mohabbat Apnapan and Apne Huwey Paraye.

His memorable flicks included ‘kyun tumse itna payar hai’, Kashf, Kandahar Break, Baby and Karachi se Lahore.

Rasheed Naz was featured in Indian movie ‘ISIS Enemies of Humanity’ directed by Yuvraj Kumar way back in 2017.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan expressed profound sorrow and grief over the death of veteran artist Rasheed Naz.

In a condolence message, he expressed sympathies with the bereaved family, saying his services in the field of arts would be remembered forever.

He prayed for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with patience.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2022